Presidential Medal of Freedom

a medal in the US that is the highest award a person can be given during a time of peaceCultureThe medal was established as the Medal of Freedom in 1945 and was given its new name in 1963 by President Kennedy. It is given to people who have an important positive effect on US interests, world peace, culture or society. People who have received the award in recent years include Colin Powell, Thurgood Marshall and Arthur Ashe.